Mission: Impossible – Fallout – 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review

When Mission: Impossible – Fallout came out in July, it instantly became one of my favorite films of the year. Upon a second viewing, that opinion has not changed. The film is still a perfect blend of action, comedy, thrills, and drama. There’s just a lot that happens in the film. Unfortunately, one of them isn’t character development. Then again, we’ve seen these characters before through multiple films now. So it’s okay if you leave out some character development in the film.

Unfortunately, the villains once again are one-dimensional but they’re much more dangerous now. This is the first film in the series where it feels like the villains might actually win. No matter what happens, Ethan Hunt is one step behind. If you’ve been watching the previous films then you know that rarely happens. Fallout’s storyline is a complex web that’s full of spy intrigue. Although it’s complex, the story is still easy to digest and follow.

As a result, the action and thrills are relentless from beginning to end. If you’re the type of person that needs a breather in a film then this film isn’t for you. However, the action and thrills only enhance the roller coaster ride that Christopher McQuarrie takes you on. In addition, the stunts are absolutely insane. The stunts might not seem as insane as the other films but if you know the stories behind it then you’ll be shocked as to the amount of effort put into it.

A lot of that is due to Tom Cruise’s effort to do whatever it takes to make a film special. No matter what you think of him and his public personal life, you have to admit that he gives a 110% to every film he makes. It’s this kind of dedication that makes every Mission: Impossible film memorable.

Overall, Mission: Impossible – Fallout is an incredible action thrill ride that’ll leave you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. The film doesn’t give you a breather and, quite frankly, that’s the best kind of action film. So strap yourself in and get ready for the wildest ride in your living room.

Movie Rating: 5/5 atoms

Video

Mission: Impossible – Fallout Hits Ultra HD Blu-ray with an HDR transfer and a 2.39/1.90:1 aspect ratio. The video transfer is quite extraordinary. The brightness is quite bright but you won’t find any bloom whatsoever on screen. Not to mention, the black levels are a deep black but there’s a slight case of crushing in the picture. The film has a slight reddish color tone to the film. As a result, the skin tones look redder than usual. Since the film isn’t entirely a vibrant and colorful film, there isn’t a lot of instances where there are colors that pop from the screen. From the greenery to the cityscapes, the colors look natural. However, when there are bright colors they pop from the screen.

Be that as it may, the film features both IMAX and digital/film sequences in the film. It’s not that surprising but the difference between the two is like night and day. Although the scenes shot on digital/film are crisp and clear, the IMAX scenes are EXTREMELY sharp and clear. In fact, it clears up all of the minor issues from the digital/film transfer. Overall, this is a great video transfer.

Video Rating: 4.5/5 atoms

Audio

Mission: Impossible – Fallout Hits Ultra HD Blu-ray with a Dolby Atmos and a core 7.1 Dolby TrueHD Master Audio track. This review will reflect Mission: Impossible – Fallout’s core 7.1 Dolby TrueHD Master Audio track. Fallout’s audio mix is so incredibly immersive. There’s a nice distinct layering of the score, sound effects, and dialogue. First of all, not only are the sound effects accurately positioned in the soundstage but they envelop the entire stage too. Considering the number of crazy action sequences in the film, there will be a lot of times where you’ll be immersed in the scene. In addition, the various orchestral instruments that make up the score comes through the different speakers for a rich listening experience. Although the audio mix is loud and boisterous, the dialogue can still be clearly heard in the center channel. Overall, this is a fantastic and immersive audio mix.

Audio Rating: 5/5 atoms

Special Features

Mission: Impossible – Fallout doesn’t have any special features on the Ultra HD Blu-ray. However, the regular 1080p Blu-ray has the following special features on it:

Behind the Fallout

Light the Fuse

Top of the World

The Big Swing: Deleted Scene Breakdown

Rendezvous in Paris

The Fall

The Hunt is On

Cliffside Clash

Deleted Scenes Montage

Foot Chase Musical Breakdown

The Ultimate Mission

Storyboards

Paris

What If?

London

Helicopter

“Light the Fuse” is an informative featurette on the various elements of the film. Because there’s a lot of content to go over, the featurette doesn’t go entirely too in-depth but you’ll still learn something about the film. On the other hand, “Top of the World” covers in-depth the most interesting stunt sequence in the film—primarily because of the complexity of the stunt itself. You basically get to see what we reported on at CinemaCon. Not to mention, hearing them break down the sequence is intriguing to listen to.

Fortunately, it’s not just the HALO jump that’s cpcover comprehensively but each stunt featurette is interesting to watch and listen to. As I said before, no matter what you think of Tom Cruise you have to admire his dedication to his stunt work. Not only that but you have to appreciate his stunt team as well.

The “Deleted Scenes Montage” is exactly what it sounds like but the commentary makes the watch worth it. “Foot Chase Musical Breakdown” is an intriguing featurette which has composer Lorne Balfe break down the various instruments used in the score for the foot chase. Balfe provides some in-depth information that musical geek will enjoy. However, those who aren’t might not get what Balfe is talking about.

The “Ultimate Mission” essentially uses a lot of the same footage from the “Behind the Fallout” featurette series. It’s essentially a cliff notes version of the entire series with narration by Tom Cruise. Lastly, the storyboards are exactly what it sounds like.

Special Features Rating: 4.5/5 atoms

Overall, Mission: Impossible – Fallout is a perfect blend of action, comedy, and thrills. As a result, this makes Fallout one of the best films of the year. Not to mention, the video, audio, and special features are all amazing as well. All in all, Paramount delivers a total package with Mission: Impossible – Fallout.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5 atoms

This Blu-ray was reviewed using a retail/advance copy/unit provided by Paramount Home Entertainment.